When I enter Terry Singh’s presentation at NYMD I’m struck by the jovial atmosphere of the room. This is a space of pure joy. Attendees and models alike dance to the rhythms of Mariah Carey and Notorious BIG being performed by guitarist Matteo Desantis.
The collection titled Where Fashion Ignites Fearless Identity is almost entirely made up of skirt suits. Singh explains that the inspiration for the collection was when a young man reached out to him in Brazil expressing admiration for his clothes, but apprehension about wearing them. He says, While in Brazil it’s very culturally open, traditionally and religiously it’s very closed. He wants to wear the clothes I make, but he cannot wear them in Brazil because of what his family, friends, and neighbors might think. So I borrowed the integrity of the military and borrowed integrity of hockey themes and created these looks, to make them more palatable.
The collection begins with more mIlitary-inspired jackets (paired with skirts, obviously), but as we move along the collection the plain fabrics are replaced with floral prints, there are skirts that showcase slits cut to the thigh, metallic floral prints with feathery details, there’s a translucent ensemble with floral motifs, a skirt bedazzled with beads, and finally there’s a flared skirt suit bedazzled to look like the night sky. The entire collection is a play between masculinity and femininity that is anything but subtle, and very very fun.
Singh himself is dressed in a skirt-suit, a sort of staple in his wardrobe. I noticed one of the garments has the distinct likeness of the designer printed on it. When I ask him if he’s his own muse he laughs, You see that girl right there, she’s my muse. He’s referring to his partner Kelli Youngman (upon later reflection I notice she’s listed in his show notes as Muse). I asked her for her thoughts on the collection, she told me How could you see this and not see the love, and fun, and celebration that Terry brings to how he lives his life, and how he views the world. It’s all him. When I turned around, Terry had joined his models and guests in dance.